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Lanceis
Photograph: Gabriele Basilico (featured in the chapter ‘Iran, 1970’)
With My Head in the Clouds and Stars in My Eyes: Stories About Iran and Elsewhere
Nonfiction · 235 pp · 2017
With an introduction by Hushidar Mortezaie
Cover design by Joobin Bekhrad
Cover artwork by Arash Ashkar
Bringing together an assortment of stories revolving around Iranian culture, With My Head in the Clouds and Stars in My Eyes tells at once the story of Bekhrad’s beloved homeland as well as that of himself.
Set in various places and dealing with a medley of subjects – from boozy debauchery and rock and roll to contemporary Iranian art and the mountains of Tehran – the stories provide a view of Iran as seen through the starry eyes of a romantic.
‘A uniquely personal take on a wonderful assortment of stories revolving around Iranian culture.’
Georgina Godwin, Monocle
Selected Praise
‘I so enjoyed With My Head in the Clouds and Stars in My Eyes, finding a sense of warmth and familiarity with places I’d never known through your disarmingly affective prose.’
Juan Cruz, Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at London’s Royal College of Art
‘A uniquely personal take on a wonderful assortment of stories revolving around Iranian culture.’
Georgina Godwin, Monocle
‘In a deeply personal encounter with his native Iran, Bekhrad supplants stereotypes with poignant glimpses into the country’s complex and magnificent history.’
Deeyah Khan
‘He may have left the table, but you’ve captured Abbas and his life’s work well. Thank you.’
Ahmad Kiarostami
‘In a highly idiosyncratic piece, Joobin Bekhrad traces the history of the Persian wine tradition ...’
Kamran Talatoff, Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Chair in Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Arizona, on ‘Ramblings of an Iranian Wino’
‘If you are looking for someone working hard to understand his cultural background and share it with the rest of the world, it’s Joobin Bekhrad. When I saw him in my studio in Tehran a few years ago, I could not believe my eyes. He had come to see my work and talk to me, despite unpredictable inconveniences. That is not all; his translation of The Robaiyat of Omar Khayyam shows his sensitivity in our times.’
Parviz Tanavoli